Government Insists There Is No Cap on International Student Numbers

According to higher education spokesman Viscount Younger of Leckie, there is no intention on limiting the number of foreign students attending UK universities and as a result there is no cap on the number of genuine international students coming to the UK to study.

Lord Younger added that the administration wanted the country's leading institutions to continue to attract the best talent.

The comment was made to clear up the potential area of confusion during the second reading debate in the House of Lords on the Higher Education and Research Bill, during which several peers raised their concerns over the inclusion of students within government's targets to cut immigration.

Members in the Lords also called for international students to be separated from the Office for National Statistics net migration figures.

The exclusion of international students from immigration figures is backed by both Boris Johnson and Chancellor Philip Hammond.

Commenting on the matter Lord Younger said: "We understand and value very much the contribution that international students, staff and researchers make to our HE sector.

"Let me be clear on another potential area of confusion. There is no cap on how many genuine international students can come to study here and we have no intention of limiting how many genuine students can come here to study.

"We want our top universities to continue to attract the best students."